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Saturday, 14 February 2015

A full estuary count today (from various locations including Passage House, Flow Point and Polly Steps) revealed nothing unexpected with three Black-tailed Godwit, a Teal and one of the wintering Common Sandpiper the highlights.Other wildfowl and wader counts included 48Shelduck, 23 Red-breasted Merganser, 360 Oystercatcher, 97 Redshank, 86 Curlew, 26 Lapwing, 10 Greenshank and 10 Ringed Plover.

Elsewhere the Scaup remains at Decoy after a gap of a couple weeks and several failed attempts the Firecrest was seen again in Teignmouth at Milford Park pumping station, Bitton Park Road. This time however there were two birds.

Monday, 9 February 2015

I've had emails back for all four ringed Black-headed Gulls I saw on patch around Christmas time last year.

The first was white J1P4 seen at Decoy on the 19th December. This bird was ringed near Oslo, Norway on the 17th April 2011 as an adult. It was first seen at Decoy in the winter of 2012, when it was then seen back in Oslo in April. It has repeated this pattern up to my sighting.

Black-headed Gull White J1P4

I also saw a metal ringed bird on the same day which I was able to read after several minutes of skirting around to get different angles. This bird ( EL00862) was ringed at Poole Park on the 19th February 2007 as an adult. My sighting was it's first.

The third (White 22P7) was seen on the 24th December also at Decoy. It was ringed as a chick at a breeding site at Lee Farm GP on the 15th June 2014 and my sighting was also it's first. This it the second ringed gull I've seen from this breeding site.

Black-headed Gull White 22P7

The fourth (Yellow 2DKL) was seen at Passage House on the same date as the above. It was ringed at Pitsea Landfill in Essex in the 30th August 2014 as an adult and my sighting is it's first.

Sunday, 1 February 2015

In addition to the long staying male Black Redstart by Teignmouth Rugby club, the female was seen again at Gloucester Rd, Teignmouth during the week. Based on recent sightings there are at least three probably as many as five wintering around the town this January.

Another good wintering passerine in Teignmouth is a Firecrest which has been present at the South West Water pumping works at Milford Park pumping station, Bitton Park Rd since Friday.

Elsewhere the drake Scaup was still at Decoy on Thursday with a Kingfisher at the Back Beach, Teignmouth.